Adventures in Reality

World Youth Day for the "Young-at-Heart"

Here’s a funny story about being ‘young’. A year or so ago, an NGO (non-government organization) held an activity to celebrate “World Youth Day”. Most of the members of this NGO were young people in their early twenties, who are full of life and vibrant with energy, enthusiasm for what they were doing, and bursting with bright ideas. They got a venue in a shopping mall where they expected lots of public to be passing, especially youth of their own age, who hopefully would spontaneously join in their program of activity, celebrating WYD.Everything was prepared and set up at the shopping mall, and all involved were rearing to go on the big day.However, due to timing, not many young people seemed to be around, that afternoon. Whether, more young people came into the shopping mall later in the day, I’m not sure. Perhaps, it was too impromptu or suffered insufficient publicity of the activity before hand.Yet, to their credit, these young and vibrant persons did not give up and strived to get whoever, regardless of age, involved in the Youth Day celebration. Most of the people who sportingly came forward to participate in the Youth Day activity were mainly the middle-aged or even elderly ‘young-at-heart’ who, ironically, had a straggling youthful audience.The ‘young-at-heart’ seemed to enjoy themselves in this youth activity, some even taking part in an ‘eating contest’! In contrast, many of the real youth stood on the sidelines making up the audience, smiling sheepishly and appearing too shy to ‘let- their- hair-down’. This was really awkward, as it seemed, a section of our youth seem ‘older’ and more reserved, than the middle-aged and elderly ‘young-at-heart’, game to celebrate Youth Day, anytime. To relive those good old days, when they were really as young and vibrant as our NGO friends.This World Youth Day celebration was a success for the crowd for whom it was not exactly intended. Still, we (yours truly too) who have come to the half century cross-roads of our lives should take comfort in knowing that aging is merely a state of mind, despite the creaking bones and crows-feet wrinkles around the eyes.You are not old until you think you are, and start acting like it. Thanks to these young and vibrant NGO youth, who will probably look back in their twilight years and seek to relive those exciting times, just like we, the ‘young-at-heart’ are doing.